It is another Monday, following an adventure-less Monday, and that means it is time for a Grim Misadventure! Last time, we talked about the incoming Factions overhaul, giving you a glimpse at the brand new Faction Window and its wealth of information on what will soon become a core part of your Grim Dawn adventures. The first part of this major addition to the game is coming your way with Build 24. But that is not all that is coming with the next major content release.

It may be hard to believe after everything that has been added in just 2014 alone, but Grim Dawn was once meant to be a much smaller game. However, thanks to the generous support of our fans, both prior to release and in continued early access sales, we have been able to include additional features, add on more content and significantly expand the game as a whole.

The upcoming Build 24 marks what would have been the final chapter of Grim Dawn (until the expansion), based on our original plan. If we had stuck strictly to our original plan, following a smaller Act 1 and 2, you would have eventually wandered into the remnants of Homestead and the surrounding farmlands. There, you would have helped the human survivors take back critical resources, secured an alliance with either the Order of Death’s Vigil or Kymon’s Chosen, and then set off for the final battle with the Aetherials in a sprawling necropolis somewhere on the outskirts of Homestead. This small victory would mark the first step in humanity’s struggle to retake their world and provide a fledgling hope to the survivors.

It turned out though, that there was just too much we wanted to do to fit it into two chapters of one Act. So now Act 3 chapter 2 will still involve securing resources and a big battle with the Aetherials. We have pushed out some of the content originally planned for Homestead when it was the end-game, such as the necropolis and the two opposing factions. In place, we have added the Black Legion faction, which was not originally part of Grim Dawn, with various quests to earn their favor, and two big boss fights.

The farmers, struggling survivors much akin to those you have met in Devil’s Crossing, have concerns of their own, and their requests for aid have fallen on deaf ears. The Black Legion, it appears, is far more concerned with the invaders than with “a few pests”. However, the people of Homestead will tell you one thing: the Dermapteran infestation now thriving in the abandoned fields is a force of nature not to be trifled with. If it is not dealt with at the source, and soon, then the Aetherials and the Chthonians will be the least of Homestead’s concerns.

All Hail the Queen

But the Aetherials have plans as well. Something horrible is happening within one of the barns not far from Homestead. A blinding aether light has been reported in the area, until it suddenly stopped a few days prior to your arrival. Whatever the Aetherials are working on, it must be nearly ready.

What Stirs within the Barn?

Build 24 does not mark the end of your journey ; we wanted to expand the opposing factions, the Order of Death’s Vigil and Kymon’s Chosen, increasing the quests involved and their significance in the game, so they have been given their own chapter. Act 3 chapter 3 will take you north of Homestead, to Sorrow’s Bastion and the Blood Grove where you will form an alliance with one of the factions and earn the enmity of the other. You will also see a lot more of the Cult of Ch’thon.

From there, you will venture northward into the mountains and beyond. You will fight through treacherous frozen passes, alpine valleys, the ruins of a sprawling fort, a smoldering battleground and then down into necropolis and its catacombs to face the final battle. You will not only find additional Aetherial forces to contend with but also a powerful Chthonic boss and, of course, your journey will eventually lead into the Chthonic Void itself. With additional story, environments, questing and surprises, an entire Act 4 has taken shape beyond Homestead!

You can expect B24 to release by the end of February. Sorrow’s Bastion and Blood Grove will follow, potentially in B26 sometime in late spring. Act 4 will begin to roll out in early summer.

Between big story content releases, you can expect additional builds with fixes, improvements and additional features. The big factions overhaul will roll out with B25 and there are yet other surprises in store!

Like knowing what is coming up next for Grim Dawn? Check back on 03/02/2015 for our regular development updates!

Will you be looking at releasing more expansions in the future? after the final release? and if so; what sort of payment scheme would we be looking at for this additional content? with the prevalence of pay-walls, real-life auction houses and day 1 DLC, this would be the perfect time to get your title in the top 10 steam sales; solely by offering a no bullsh*t approach to content, much like titan quest. Game $50, thats fine; perfectly ok with paying that, expansion a few months later, $30. again; perfect... once GD is released, are you looking at sticking to a similar model?